Where are all the toys?

I remember Christmas mornings growing up where all I could think about was what Santa was bringing me.

Then I would get up at around 4:30 a.m. and run to the tree to see what awesome toys I got.

But with the fun of unwrapping toys came the disappointment of getting presents that were not inside of a box. The inside of the wrapping paper was soft and fragile. I knew then that this was not some fantastic radio controlled racecar, or a brand new basketball. It could only be one-thing — clothes.

While all of the goodies were already opened and lying across the entire house, I had to always keep hope that maybe one of these presents would surprise me and be what I did not think it was, but that dream never came true.

Looking back at it now, that was a really nice thing that good ol’ Saint Nick did for me. But it sure was awful at the time.

My dear mother and grandmother would always look at me and ask, “What did Santa bring you?” Oh, but they could tell that it was what I called “soft stuff.” And as they laughed at the sour look on my face, I would wonder why Santa would do this to a poor unsuspecting child.

Now the roles have reversed, and I find that some of the best things that Santa brings are my clothes.

A nice winter jacket, or a good pair of jeans are now greeted with delight, rather than a sad little face.

But my 8-year-old little brother does not see this the same way that I do, and clothes that Santa brings to him get tossed in the same area that all of the wrapping paper gathers.

Looking back at it now, Santa wasn’t doing me wrong by getting me clothes, he was just looking out for me by mixing business with pleasure.

Think about it, kids, although it sounds like the most fun you could ever have, you can’t just get nothing but toys. You have to get those clothes from somewhere.

So remember this Christmas that Santa will do the best he can to get you that new video game or Zhu Zhu pet (whatever that is). But he is also looking out for you too.